


I Got You (Under My Skin)

by weatherworn



Category: K-pop, NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, Prompt Fill, Tattoos
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-07
Updated: 2017-04-07
Packaged: 2018-10-15 21:46:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,392
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10558206
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/weatherworn/pseuds/weatherworn
Summary: Tattoos imply commitment, something that Ten is not used to, but when he meets a talented tattoo artist named Johnny after losing a bet, he thinks he might be able to get used to the idea of tattoosandcommitment.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by Anonymous in the [NCTprompts](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/NCTprompts) collection. 



Making decisions while drunk never got Ten anywhere good, unless it's to the nearest 24-hour greasy diner for all-you-can-eat pancakes and milkshakes, which he and Doyoung have done a couple of times while trying to sober up. Those were _great_ decisions. This one is not.

While drunk this time, he had thought it would be a great idea to play Get the Bottle to Land Right Side Up with Jaehyun, Jaehyun would lose, and Ten would be able to get Jaehyun to do anything he dared him to do, which were the terms of the competition. And what Ten was going to dare Jaehyun to do was to confess his feelings to Doyoung.

But what he did not anticipate was losing. Because apparently, his alcohol-soaked brain thought victory was assured.

Jaehyun finally got the bottle to stand after he and Ten had been going at it for ten rounds. Ten hadn't even been able to register the consequences of the loss until the next morning, when Jaehyun comes rolling in to collect on the win.

"Instead of daring you to get another piercing again, I dare you to get a tattoo," Jaehyun says with a truly evil grin.

Ten squints at Jaehyun through his pounding hangover headache. "A tattoo? Are you kidding me? That shit's permanent...and expensive. No fucking way."

"Hey, no takesies backsies," Jaehyun says, his grin growing ever wider and eviler. "One of the terms and conditions of our bets is that we cannot back out."

Ten groans and regrets doing it because his brain is actually hurting from the cacophonous noise of his own voice. "Aw man, come on, anything but that. I could clean your apartment for a month. Run your errands. Suck you off for a week even. Actually, I retract the last offer. Ew."

Jaehyun is mercilessly unmovable in his decision and so a couple of days later, Ten finds himself in front of the tattoo shop that he had found on the internet with great reviews. "ASK FOR THE ARTIST NAMED JOHNNY!" A few of the reviews have said. "YOU WON'T REGRET IT!"

With a bit of trepidation, he enters the shop. It's a small space, the walls all around him pasted with samples of the work of the artists and right in front of him is the counter, where a girl is sitting and looking at the computer. She notices his presence and perks up. "Welcome to Dark Night Tattoos. How can I help you?" She greets cheerfully. She has full arm sleeves of tattoos covering every inch of skin until it stops just short of her wrists. One arm has dragons of all shapes and colors, from Western to Eastern types and the other arm has intricate bio-mech designs that made it seem like her skin was ripped apart to reveal machinery and coils underneath. 

"Uh, hi," Ten says, feeling intimidated. "I'd like to get a tattoo?"

"Sure!" She says. "Was there an artist in particular that you wanted to work with?"

"Um, yeah, with Johnny?" Ten says. He's got to stop ending each sentence into a question when it really isn't. 

She grins knowingly. "Yes, he's one of our more popular ones. And for good reason. I always like to tell people that he did all my bio-mech work on this arm," she says, holding out her left arm to show him. "He's pretty booked up for the next month, but I can fit you in pretty quickly if you're just planning on getting a small one."

Ten is the type of person who doesn't like to go half-ass on things, even something he doesn't really want to get in the first place. "I'll make an appointment for the next availability he has in a month," he tells her. This will give him enough time to maybe even convince Jaehyun to change the terms of the dare or at the very least, think about what he really wanted to get for his first ever tattoo.

"Alright," the girl says. Ten sets up an appointment in a month and is given a business card with the time and date of his appointment with Johnny. "We do have a twenty-four hour cancellation policy, so if you decide to change your mind, please call us the day before. My name is Seulgi if you have any questions. You can call us at this number or just drop by."

"Thanks, Seulgi," Ten says gratefully. He is glad that this shop seems to feel really welcoming despite how inexperienced he must've sounded when he first came in. He leaves the shop, thinking that even if Jaehyun is unwilling to change his mind, maybe getting a tattoo wouldn't be so terrible after all, especially if the work he saw on Seulgi's arm is anything to go by.

\---

Unfortunately, Ten does not have any more luck changing Jaehyun's mind in the entire month leading up to the appointment.

"Oh, my god, Jae," Ten says, flabbergasted. "Why do you want me to get a tattoo so badly anyway?"

"Because daring you to get more piercings was starting to get boring," Jaehyun explains. He leans in. "Plus, I totally knew what you were going to dare me to do if I had lost. Consider this my revenge."

"It would've been for your own good!" Ten insists. "You could've been sucking face with Doyoung right now, but instead, you're making me do something that I really can't reverse if I don't like it."

"Or Doyoung would've laughed in my face and I would've had to kill you for making me into a laughingstock," Jaehyun retorts. "So really, this is the better alternative, if you think about it. And besides, I've heard you talk about wanting to get one before."

"But on my own terms!" Ten says, growing desperate. "Why are you being so mean to me, Jaehyun?"

Jaehyun smiles ominously at Ten. "I like seeing you squirm."

\---

Ten goes back to Dark Night Tattoos with slumped shoulders. This is cruel and unusual punishment, honestly. It's Seulgi again who greets him when he enters.

"Hey, Ten," she says with a warm smile. "You ready for your first tattoo?"

Ten tries to muster up some enthusiasm because he doesn't want to be a jerk. "Yep, take me to your leader."

She grins and motions him to follow. He has to walk around the counter to follow her further into the shop. She takes him to a room with what looks like a dentist chair in the center, rolls of ink bottles lined up on the hanging wall shelves. The desk at the side of the room is laid out with what he assumes are the tools that will inject the ink into his skin, including the machine itself that looks really sharp at the tip. He swallows hard.

Seulgi must've sensed his unease because she smiles at him. "You'll be in good hands, Ten, I promise. Johnny's one of the best in the business. You can have a seat and Johnny willl be with you in just a few minutes."

Ten nods, feeling himself go on autopilot. He takes a seat and tries hard to regulate his breathing. He doesn't have to wait long for Johnny to make his appearance.

He is tall and his face is not unpleasant looking. In fact, it is _very_ not unpleasant looking. _Oh no_. His features are sharp but the soft lines of his face offset it. He looks like he wants to boss you around, but also apologize to you while doing it.

"Hi, I'm Johnny," he says, smiling at Ten. The weird thing is he actually looks kind of unattractive when he smiles because it looks so...goofy and his smile makes his face move in weird ways, almost like dough.

"I'm Ten," Ten says, not sure what to make of the guy. He watches Johnny take a seat on the rolling stool besides the dentist chair, pushing himself closer to Ten. 

"Do you have an idea about what you want?" Johnny asks. Ten likes that he seems to be giving him all his attention instead of fiddling with his equipment like he's seen a lot of his piercers do. 

Despite his reluctance, Ten already has his mind set on what he wants. "I want a flock of blue jays in a crescent shape formation going from the middle of my back over my shoulder," Ten says. "Wait, I can draw it for you?" He pantomimes drawing something.

Johnny nods and hands him a sheet of paper and pen from the top of the desk. Ten starts sketching as Johnny looks on. 

Johnny looks pensive when Ten finishes his design. "I'll be more than happy to execute that for you, but that's...really ambitious for your first tattoo, Ten," he says.

Ten is actually kind of surprised by Johnny's reluctance. "Hey, listen, if I'm going to get a tattoo, I want a _tattoo_. You know what I mean?"

Johnny nods, grinning. "I know exactly what you mean." He turns around, snaps on vinyl gloves, and starts injecting ink into the rotary machine. "This will take about three to four hours or so. We can do it all in one session if you're up for it. You just let me know when you've had enough. And we can schedule another session for you."

"Okay," Ten says. He's not unfamiliar with the pain of having something pierce his skin. He has two earful of piercings after all, most of them no thanks to Jaehyun. And he finds himself trusting Johnny to execute his idea correctly, if his work on Seulgi is anything to go by.

Johnny must've deduced Ten's pain tolerance level from his piercings as well because he doesn't try to baby Ten. He reaches over to lower the back of the chair until it is completely horizontal and tells Ten to take off his shirt and lay down on his stomach. Ten would make a crude joke about it, but he doesn't want to give Johnny a bad impression yet. He finds himself wanting Johnny to like him.

Ten lays his forehead on the headrest and takes a deep breath when he's finished situating himself properly. He's not self-conscious about his body by any means, so he isn't exactly sure what he's nervous about. 

"Ready?" He hears Johnny murmur gently. He nods.

"So what I'm going to do first is transfer the stencil of what you drew to the skin and then I'm going to ink over it, okay?" Johnny explains. He hears the rustling of paper and feels it slide against the middle of his back and then something wet going over the sheet of paper, imprinting the design.

"Your sketchings are really good," Ten hears Johnny say as he is working. "Are you an artist?"

"No," Ten answers. "Well, yes, but not really. I work in the concept and design department at an ad agency."

"That's cool," Johnny remarks. "Alright, I'm going to start doing the actual tattooing now."

Ten nods and braces himself. He hears the rotary machine turn on, a constant drilling noise and feels the sensation of Johnny leaning over his back. He feels Johnny place one of his hands flat between the blades of his shoulders, holding him steady. The warmth and weight of the hand feels comforting to Ten and he relaxes. 

The pain is manageable for the most part. It's not unlike when Ten gets his ear pierced, and in fact it hurts less, but it just goes on for a prolonged amount of time. Johnny stops every now and then to wipe the skin down with a damp towel. Johnny also tells him when he starts going over bone, which does amp up the pain level, so Johnny giving him the heads up does help Ten prepare for it.

"I'm just outlining right now, and then I'm going to fill in the color," Johnny keeps up his explaining over the sound of the drill. "I personally feel like the outlining hurts more than the shading, so it only gets better from here."

Ten turns his head to the side to rest on his cheek. "I don't see any tattoos on you though," he says.

Johnny pauses and out of the corner of Ten's eyes, he can see the embarrassed look on his face. "I have some where it isn't visible," Johnny says. Ten tries hard to stifle his laugh so that he doesn't disturb Johnny's work. That makes sense. How can a tattoo artist not have any tattoos? Ten feels both like an idiot for making an erroneous observation and also charmed by Johnny's embarrassment. 

"Did you tattoo them on yourself?" Ten asks.

"No, each one of mine was done by someone different," Johnny says. "I like having samples of different styles."

Ten hums in response. He is falling into a lull, the steady pinpricks of the machine surprisingly soothing for his mental state. He can go into his head for a while because that's all he is required to do right now. He doesn't have to think about anything beyond lying on the chair, getting a tattoo. Johnny is doing all the hard work. 

"Ten?" He hears Johnny say.

"Hmm?"

"I'm going to start on your shoulder, which may feel a little uncomfortable," Johnny says. "I just want to prepare you for it."

"Okay," Ten says. "Thanks." He does manage to bear the first few drills along his shoulder bone, but then he has to motion for Johnny to stop.

"It feels like, like, you're sawing off my arm," Ten says, trying to explain the sensation. The shoulder feels raw, like Johnny had stripped off all the skin on it. "You have to give me a couple of minutes."

Johnny nods, understanding. He puts down the rotary machine back on the desk, on top of a paper towel. Ten also sees small containers of pigment on top of the paper towel as well.

"Do you need some water?" Johnny asks. "A snack?"

Ten shakes his head. "Do you?"

Johnny laughs. "I'm fine. I don't think I've had a client asked me that in return."

Ten grins. "Well, I have to make sure you're not going to screw up the job because of hunger or thirst."

Johnny returns the grin. "Fair enough. Are you ready to go again?"

This time, Ten can't help the waggling of his brows at Johnny, who just looks at him flatly, but with the slightest hint of amusement in the crinkling of his eyes. The pain of having Johnny drill over bone persists and Ten has to grit his teeth against it until he completes that part. 

"Alright, I'm done with that spot," Johnny announces. Ten feels his whole body relax. "That is, until the shading," Johnny finishes. 

"You're such an asshole," Ten says without really thinking. He jerks around, ready to apologize for his rudeness, only to find Johnny laughing softly, clearly amused.

Relieved that he hasn't offended Johnny, he settles back again. Johnny is right, the shading does hurt less relative to the outlining, and Johnny explains it's because he doesn't have to go as deep into the skin. 

"So how did you get into tattooing in the first place?" Ten asks, genuinely curious.

"I, um, got my first tattoo when I was fifteen," Johnny says. "I found it so fascinating that our bodies are able to be bearers of art themselves. It taught me that art can be any form you want it to be. It doesn't have to hang in the museum."

Ten nods, knowing exactly how Johnny feels. He has always felt that art should be accessible to everyone, including the partaking in the making of it. There is a faction of the modern art world that is so pretentious and exclusionary, it gives Ten immense pleasure to counteract that himself any way he can.

They lapse into comfortable silence again, only speaking when Johnny pipes up every now and then to explain his progress. 

Ten is half-dozing by the time Johnny announces that he's done. He stirs groggily.

"I'm going put some salve on it and cover it up," Johnny says, his voice soft and soothing. "Seulgi is going to give you a sheet of the aftercare instructions, but I'll give you the rundown. I'm going to give you the container of salve that I have found to be really good at healing tattoos. Apply it to clean skin three times a day and remember to wash the area with mild, unscented soap each time because anything with fragrance might irritate it or cause an allergic reaction. The tattoo is basically an open wound right now, so you have to keep it clean, but don't cover it up with anything because you want the wound to breathe. After five to seven days, you can switch over to unscented lotion. Sleep on your sides or stomach until the tattoo heals, which can take about three weeks to a month. It's going to start peeling and itch because you're growing new skin and hair in that area. Don't scratch or pull at the peeling skin and putting a cold paper towel over it for a few minutes can help a little, but I would suggest just bearing with it until it's over. Do you have any other questions?"

Ten's back feels raw, but...almost in a good way. Maybe it's the mythical hormones that people say are produced after getting a tattoo. Or maybe it's the way Johnny is looking at him, looking adorably concerned.

"No, I don't think I have any questions," Ten says, gradually feeling more alert. "How much do I owe you?"

Johnny smiles. "You can take care of that with Seulgi."

"Oh, okay," Ten says. "Thank you so much for..." he flails around for the right word and settles on, "tattooing me."

"It was my pleasure," Johnny says with a grin that definitely means he's laughing internally at Ten. "It was great meeting you, Ten."

Ten gets up unsteadily from the chair, Johnny holding his arms out in case he needs support. Ten waves him away. "Same here," he says, feeling like he's ready for another long nap. Maybe that's his body wanting to heal from the trauma it just went through.

He leans against the counter, waiting for his transaction with Seulgi to process. He hands a separate hundred dollar bill to her. "Can you, can you give this to Johnny for me?" He says.

"Of course," Seulgi says, putting the cash in an envelope and writing "Johnny, from Ten" on it. She hands Ten the receipt with a smile. "Congratulations on getting your first tattoo. I hope you would consider us again if you ever choose to get another one."

"You betcha," Ten says, shooting her finger guns before he exits into the night.

\---

Doyoung whistles, looking impressed as he examines the tattoo. "Wow, that's amazing work," he says, helping Ten apply the salve to the spots that's hard to reach on his back. Add that to the pro list of having a roommate. In Doyoung's case, thankfully, the list of pros outnumber the cons.

"Right?" Ten says, preening, even though it isn't actually his work. Well, it was, sort of. Let's call it a collaborative effort.

"I still can't believe Jaehyun made you go through with it," Doyoung says. "You should've told me, I would've set him straight about coercing someone to get a tattoo against their wishes. Like, what the hell?"

Ten shrugs, then winces because the motion stretches his healing skin. "I mean, part of me wanted to get one for the novelty anyway but then the other part of me was scared of commitment. I'm actually kind of glad I did get it in the end." He looks down on the bed and smiles to himself.

Doyoung, as always, is observant as ever. "Hmm, what's with that smile, Ten? Did something else happen during the tattooing session?" Doyoung gasps. "Did you hook up with the artist?"

"NO," Ten says, glaring at him. Add one point to the con list of having Doyoung as a roommate. He's not really mad because he does like to flirt and act cute around people he's attracted to or not even attracted to, but it almost never goes any further than flirting. However, it has earned Ten the reputation of being ready to jump into bed with anyone and everyone when there's very little actual hard evidence to back it up. 

Admittedly, Ten does find himself thinking about Johnny from time to time. He remembers the warm, steady hand that Johnny had placed on his back as he was working on him. It felt comfortable and safe and in his deepest, private moments, he wonders what it would feel like for Johnny to hold him down as they--Ten feels heat flush through him. 

One night, he had been thinking about it and in an impulsive moment of self-indulgence, kicked off his pajama bottoms and lying on his side, got his hand on his hardening cock, stroking it hard and rough the way he likes it. He imagined that it was Johnny's artistic and talented hands on him instead and he groaned softly, his breathing growing harsher, the sounds filling up the room. He bet Johnny would try to be gentle with him first, because that seems like the type of guy he is, mindful of the potential of his own strength, but Ten would beg him to be rough with him. Ten arched his back, feeling the pleasure race through him like wildfire. He would let Johnny fuck him, he really would, and he wants Johnny to fuck him hard, pound into him, so he could really feel it, maybe feel it for days even. He wants Johnny to own him. Ten gasped and came into his hand and he drifted down from it slowly, reveling in the pleasure, his heart pounding.

He cleaned up as best as he could with tissue from the bedside drawer and then got up to wash the sweat off his healing tattoo in the bathroom. 

Okay, so he realizes that he might have developed a little crush on his tattoo artist.

\---

After a while, Ten realizes that these dangerous thoughts about Johnny isn't going away. He wants to see him again. But the only way to do that would be to...get another tattoo.

The first one, the flocks of blue jays flying towards his shoulder, is healing nicely and yes, it did start itching like crazy after three weeks, but he gritted his teeth and did not scratch at it.

He knows that a lot of people are prone to get another tattoo after their first one, for some people an addiction even, but would he be too obvious if he calls Seulgi right now and asks for another appointment with Johnny? _Listen, Seulgi, I don't really want to get another tattoo, I just want to see Johnny again. So is next Sunday available?_

Ten spends another couple of days debating whether he is willing to give up his pride and dignity to make the call to Seulgi and finally, one day, he does, his desire to see Johnny leaning towards the manic edge of desperation. What the hell is wrong with him?

"Sure," Seulgi says to him. "He actually had a cancellation for next week. Would you be interested?"

Ten pushes down the burst of excitement he feels. "Yeah, sure, pencil me in," he says as casually as he can.

While eating dinner with Doyoung later that night, Ten makes his announcement. "I think...I'm going to get a tramp stamp."

Doyoung's eyes just about bugs out and he freezes, mid-chew. "What?"

"I'm going back to Johnny and getting a tramp stamp," Ten says, refusing to feel embarrassed by what he's planning to do.

"Don't get a tramp stamp just because you want someone to notice you," Doyoung says, sputtering. "I thought that was self-explanatory." 

"I can't just be like hi, you tattooed me, do you wanna go out on a date," Ten protests.

"Uh, yes, you can," Doyoung says with the tone that indicates that he thinks Ten is a moron. He's used it before on numerous occasions.

"Well...I'm going to get a tramp stamp anyway," Ten says, trying to grab for the last word on this matter.

\---

"You're back," is the first thing Johnny says to Ten. "How's the first one healing?"

"Good," Ten answers. "I can take off my shirt to show you if you want." He waggles his eyebrows at Johnny.

"Those eyebrows of yours must really get a workout," Johnny notes, hiding his smile behind his hand.

"They do," Ten agrees, turning his back to Johnny first before taking off his shirt. He's afraid he'll give too much away if he tries to do it while looking at Johnny. 

He suppresses a shiver when Johnny touches the freshly healed tattoo with gentle fingers that slide along Ten's skin like a whisper. 

He hears Johnny clear his throat. "What do you feel like for your next one?"

Ten turns around and flops down on the chair. "Can you put a galaxy spiral on my lower back?" He asks.

Johnny arches an eyebrow, probably at the location of the tattoo, but he's too much of a gentleman to mention it. "Any particular galaxy in mind?"

"Let's do our neighbor, the Andromeda one," Ten suggests.

Johnny nods and picks up the tablet he has on the desk. "I'm going to look at some references and make preliminary sketches and then you let me know if it's good for the final draft, okay?"

Ten nods. Johnny is so professional, and dammit, that's sexy as hell. Apparently professionalism at one's job really gets Ten all hot and bothered. Or maybe it's just Johnny.

Johnny looks up at Ten without lifting his head from sketching, his hair falling into his face, and wow, that angle looks pretty good on him too. "So what have you been up to since our last session?"

 _Fantasizing about you holding me down with your arms while fucking me and wanting to see your face when you come_ , Ten thinks, licking his lips. He watches Johnny's gaze dart down to his mouth for a second before looking back up again. _Oh_. He hopes he wasn't just seeing things. He's so far gone for this guy he barely knows. He needs to get a freaking grip.

"Nothing much," Ten answers. He's not deliberately trying to act coy, but thinking about Johnny really has been all he'd been doing in the month and a half since the last session. He thinks he might've gotten a promotion at work too? But all that pales in comparison to wanting to see Johnny again. And he couldn't very well tell Johnny that at this point in time.

He watches Johnny smile down at the sheet of paper. Damn, even though it makes his face all doughy and shit, Johnny really does have a nice smile. "Alright, this looks a little underwhelming right now, but once the shading is done, I promise you it's going to look great, if I do say so myself. I'm going to use this picture," Johnny says, pointing to a jpeg file on his tablet, "for reference on shading. I'm going to set the galaxy against a backdrop of stars and I'm also going to make it watercolor style so the edges can fade into your skin. It'll look awesome. What do you think?"

Ten nods enthusiastically. He can't believe he's excited about getting his _second_ tattoo when the first one he got was on a bet he had lost. What is his life coming to?

He settles back in the same position as he was during the first time, waiting patiently for Johnny to work his magic once again.

"Um," Johnny says, breaking the silence. "This is going to be an awkward question, so I apologize in advance, but how low did you want the tattoo to go?"

Ten turns around to find Johnny completely red in the face and starts laughing. He is so charmed. "As low as you want to go," Ten says suggestively, waggling his eyebrows with renewed vigor. How could a tattoo artist be such a...a prude?

Johnny looks at him, unimpressed. "Alright, wise guy, just turn around."

"Kekekeke," Ten continues to chortle, having so much fun giving Johnny a hard time.

He hears Johnny's low chuckle as he starts getting down to work.

Same as last time, Ten feels so comfortable and relaxed under Johnny's handiwork and skill that he starts lulling off by the tail end of hour two. It's not that he no longer feels the pain, but that he's gotten so used to it by the second hour, it barely disturbs him. This time, he even has to be awaken by Johnny, who shakes him gently by the shoulder. 

"Ten?" He says softly. "It's time to wake up. We're finished."

"Hm?" Ten murmurs, emerging from sleep in increments. He sits up. "Oh, oh, sorry, I fell asleep. Was I drooling?"

Johnny grins, but there's a slight strain to it that's barely noticeable if he had been anyone else, but Ten has been basically obsessing over Johnny so forgive him if he's extra observant about his stupid crush. "No, you're fine," Johnny says to him. "Take as long as you need, but I just wanted to show you the finished work." He produces a large hand mirror and positions it so Ten can see his tattoo reflected through the mirror. He stares in awe at the detail and how it came together. Johnny had meticulously shaded in the galaxy to match the reference picture and it seems to sparkle and glow against Ten's back. Part of it is because of the salve and clear plastic wrap that Johnny has applied over the tattoo, making the shine of the details stand out even more.

"Wow," he says, hushed. "Wow."

Johnny looks pleased. Ten really wants to kiss him at that moment. He fists his hands, trying to draw up enough courage to ask Johnny out on a date. How hard can it really be? And if he says no, I'm not interested, then so what? Ten will survive, he's been rejected before, but he also doesn't think he would be able to handle a rejection from Johnny. Ah, fuck, now he's chickened out again. Maybe he should try asking him next time...when he comes in for his third tattoo. Yes, that sounds like an excellent plan.

He stands and puts his shirt back on. "Thanks again so much, Johnny," he says sincerely. Instead of regretting his tattoos as he was expecting to, he is going to wear the work with pride.

He is baffled, however, when Johnny offers him a weak smile, looking troubled. "Ten, I know this is really premature since I just finished your second piece, but if you do choose to come back to us again, which I'm really grateful if you do, I don't think I can do your next tattoo. I can recommend you someone equally if not better than me here at the shop."

"Wait, why not?" Ten asks, now really confused. "Did I do something wrong?" 

"No," Johnny says quickly. "No, no, it's absolutely not you. It's...me."

"Oh god, why does this sound like a break up before we've even had a relationship?" Ten says before he snaps his hand up to cover his mouth. Johnny stares at him in shock and Ten is mortified, wanting the floor to open and swallow him up. He thinks he better get out of here before he humiliates himself even further. His chances of asking Johnny out on a date is totally screwed now. 

"Alright, it's okay," he says, edging towards the door, his face still flaming. "Sorry, I didn't mean-I should go." He's so close to escaping when Johnny reaches out to grab his wrist.

"Wait, don't go," Johnny says, looking desperate. "Let me explain." He realizes he's still holding on to Ten's wrist and quickly lets go, as if Ten repulses him. Ten's heart drops. He hadn't realized how truly deeply he's gone for Johnny until he sees now that Johnny not only doesn't feel the same, he doesn't even want to touch Ten. Maybe, maybe _that's_ why he doesn't want to tattoo Ten anymore. Then Ten starts getting angry. 

"Okay, whatever, alright, Johnny, I get it," he snaps, letting the fury fuel him. "You don't want to tattoo me anymore, it's fine. I really don't know what I did wrong, but you know what, your loss. Have a good life." Without a second glance back, he yanks open the door to stomp out of the shop.

He then realizes that he has not paid yet, re-enters the shop, thrusts the money he owes plus tips at Seulgi, and before she could say anything, turns around and stomps back out of the shop. 

He lets anger carry him home, but once he shuts the bedroom door behind him, he throws himself onto the bed, feeling exhausted and heartbroken.

\---

"Well, that was a disaster," Doyoung says sympathetically, rubbing Ten's back comfortingly.

Ten sighs forlornly. "Tell me about it. I liked him so much too." He rubs his eyes angrily. He sure as hell isn't going to cry over some pretty boy with a pretty face and a nice body and artistically talented too and they seemed to have gotten along so well-

Ten slams his fist on the throw pillow, shaking his head to clear his thoughts. The irony of suffering through a heartbreak when he hadn't even gotten a chance to get with Johnny doesn't escape him. Ten thinks it's really unfair. He should've at least gotten some sex out of it before Johnny went and ruined everything.

"I want to say that he's not worth it or you'll get over it with time, but I know you really liked him," Doyoung says soothingly. "I'm sorry about this, Ten. You know I'm here for you, right?"

Ten nods, so grateful for Doyoung. That's one huge pro on the pro and con list of having roommates that nullifies all the cons. 

"Can we go out for drinks and then all you can eat pancakes and milkshakes?" Ten asks. "I need to eat my feelings."

"Yes, absolutely," Doyoung says, patting Ten's head.

"And we won't invite Jaehyun because he got me into this mess in the first place?" Ten says hopefully.

"No, we won't," Doyoung agrees. "In fact, we can spend the time badmouthing all the terrible friends and tattoo artists in our lives."

Ten sighs contentedly and snuggles into Doyoung on the couch. "That's why you're my favorite."

\---

It's a shame that every time Ten cleans his tattoo wound and reapplies the salve that it reminds him of Johnny. It's such an amazing work of art, but Johnny's complete and utter rejection of him really brings up some unpleasant memories whenever Ten looks at the two tattoos he now has. He finds himself sometimes rubbing the salve in too hard, the healing area protesting under the pressure.

"Ow," Ten says dejectedly, waiting for the soreness to fade.

Unlike his heart, Ten's tattoo starts healing and it is at week four, during the itchiest part of the process that he gets a call on his cell phone. Recognizing the number as the tattoo shop, he picks it up out of curiosity. Did he not pay for the last session already?

"Hi, Ten, it's Seulgi from Dark Night Tattoos," Ten hears her voice say warmly over the phone. "I'm really sorry to be bothering you but...," she trails off for a moment before continuing. "Johnny was wondering if he can speak to you," she says hesitantly. "I'm so sorry, I know you gave us your phone number for strictly business purposes, but he says it's really important."

Thrown off by the fact that it's _Seulgi_ on the phone, he can never vent his anger at Johnny out on her because she might kill Ten with just her bare hands, so he sputters, "Uh, okay."

"Really? Okay, hold on, love," Seulgi says, her voice livening up. He hears her mutter something in the background, something about 'don't screw this up' and then some rustling and clicking of heels fading away before he hears Johnny say, "Ten?"

Despite himself, Ten's heart jumps, hearing Johnny say his name. And _also_ despite himself, he finds himself missing Johnny's voice. But he still has his dignity. "Yeah, what do you want?" He says brusquely.

There's a pause and Ten can imagine Johnny wincing on the other line. "I know how it must've seemed like when I said I didn't feel comfortable tattooing you anymore, but it's not what you think." He stops short. "I'm so sorry if that's the impression you got from me. That's so far from the truth, I can't even tell you. Ten, I-" He pauses again. "I didn't want to tattoo you anymore because you were compromising the professionalism that I always try to uphold at my work. I didn't think it was ethical of me to be wanting to touch you for other reasons besides tattooing you, but I was. While I was tattooing your second one, I was thinking about what it would be like to kiss you. But you're my client and you trusted me and I didn't want you to think I was some kind of sleazy tattoo artist taking advantage of you, I mean we get such a bad reputation already, sometimes for good reason, but-"

Ten starts laughing, giggling really, on the edge of hysteria, and wanting to cry too, but with happiness. "Oh my god, Johnny, shut up, okay. Just shut up."

"Okay," he hears Johnny say timidly.

The words starts spilling out of Ten too. "I'm sorry, too. I know I overreacted and I really don't have anything to say for myself. I didn't realize how much your opinion of me mattered until I thought you found me gross or something and that's why you didn't want to tattoo me anymore." 

It's now Johnny's turn to laugh. "God, Ten, we make a pair, don't we?"

"Yeah," Ten says, trailing off. 

He hears Johnny shifting on the other line. "This is going to be so unprofessional of me, but I really want to see you again, outside of work."

Ten's breath catches in his throat. He decides to take a leap of faith. In fact, he thinks he's willing to do much more than that for Johnny. "Can you come over to my place?"

\---

Ten waits on pins and needles, pacing back and forth in his living room so feverishly that Doyoung lifts his jacket up from where it's slung over the couch and tells Ten that he's peacing out at Jaehyun's place for a while. "That extra energy is not nervousness, it's unresolved sexual tension and I don't need to be there for that." He squeezes Ten's shoulder as he walks past him. "Good luck and get laid, buddy."

Finally, after what seems like an eternity, Ten hears the doorbell ring. He smooths down the front of his shirt and then his hair and then rushes over to the door to throw it open. 

Johnny stands there, holding a bouquet of flowers, a beautiful arrangement of roses and lilies. He is also wearing a leather jacket, his hair falling into his face like some 80s teen movie leading actor. Ten looks down at himself. He's wearing a old ratty college t-shirt and sweatpants. All that time waiting for Johnny to arrive and it never occurs to Ten to change into something more sexy. He doesn't deserve to get laid. 

"Hi," Johnny says shyly, peeking up at Ten through his lashes. He thrusts the flowers at Ten. "Here."

Ten takes it, completely running on autopilot at this point. "Thank you. Would you, uh, like to come in?" He makes way for Johnny to enter.

Johnny walks in, turning around to look at Ten. He doesn't even look around him at the apartment like a lot of the suitors that Ten have brought home, his attention completely on Ten.

Feeling overwhelmed, Ten walks into the kitchen to put the flowers in some water. "Would you like something to drink?"

Ten watches Johnny shake his head through the serving window between the kitchen and living room. Ten pauses at the entryway of the kitchen, not sure what to do next. Well, he knows what he _wants_ to do next, but he doesn't want to treat Johnny like another notch on his bedpost nor does he want to give Johnny that impression. 

It's Johnny who speaks first. "How is your tattoo healing?"

Oh, yes, good, they can talk about something that's not about how much he wants to climb Johnny like a tree. This is safe, Ten thinks with relief. "It's good. I'm peeling like a snake and it itches so much sometimes that I was scared that it had gotten infected, but I don't think it is."

It's also Johnny who turns it in a dangerous new direction, but he asks guilelessly, "Do you want me to check if it is?"

"Um, sure," Ten says, going along. If this is the only way to get Johnny to touch him without actually throwing himself at him, he'll take it. He turns around and lifts up the hem of his shirt. He hears Johnny approach, his heart picking up speed.

Johnny doesn't actually touch him though and Ten hears him say, "It looks really good. You've been taking good care of it."

"Thanks," Ten says, trying to keep disappointment from his voice as he turns around to face Johnny again. He's much closer now that Ten can smell the fresh scent of soap and what's uniquely Johnny that Ten hadn't realized he's gotten used to after his sessions with him. He suddenly misses Johnny terribly even though he's right in front of him now.

Spurred on by this feeling, and the surge of recklessness that he could feel pumping through his body, he decides to fuck it. He moves in to kiss Johnny. That seems to set a chain of events into action as Johnny bends to meet Ten halfway.

Johnny tries to kiss him gently at first, but Ten presses in, grabbing fistfuls of Johnny's leather jacket and dragging him closer, sucking demandingly on Johnny's lower lip. He smiles smugly when Johnny groans deep into his mouth and feels the moment when Johnny gives in.

Johnny pulls away hastily, much to Ten's displeasure. They were having a good thing going, what the hell. "S-shouldn't I take you out on a date first?" Johnny asks, a gentleman to the last.

"No," Ten says petulantly, dragging Johnny into his room and shutting the door. "Bed, now." He pushes Johnny onto the bed and climbs over him onto his lap. Johnny looks suckerpunched, his eyes wide with awe and desire, as Ten bends down to slot his mouth against Johnny's.

Johnny's lips are warm and insistent against his and Ten groans into it, so incredibly turned on by just a kiss. How is he going to last through the rest of it? He's never felt so unmoored by anyone he's been with. Johnny is going to be the death of him, he knows it. 

"After," Ten says breathlessly. "After, we can go on a date."

Johnny grins up at him and leans in again. He nips at Ten's mouth and then starts kissing down Ten's neck and into his collarbone, little presses of his lips against Ten's sensitive skin, Ten tilting his head back to give Johnny room. He feels so exposed like this and they haven't even taken off their clothes yet. Speaking of which.

"I want to see the tattoos that you said you have where it isn't visible," Ten says teasingly, pushing Johnny's jacket off his shoulders.

Johnny flushes pink like he did the first time, and Ten has to kiss him again, all the while pulling up Johnny's shirt until it up and over and gone, cast aside on the floor. Seeing Johnny's bare arms now, it reminds Ten of the many fantasies he's had about them. He had thought it would just be fantasies forever, but now it's really happening, and the reality is actually so much better than his wildest dreams. Because Johnny is looking at him with so much affection, something that was missing from Ten's fantasies. Nobody has ever looked at him like that. It makes Ten feel loved.

He pushes down those sentimental feelings and pushes Johnny up on the bed, Johnny obediently yielding as he moves backwards, Ten crawling after him. 

Laid out like that, Ten has a good look at the canvas he gets to work with and also at the tattoos Johnny has. There's one below his right shoulder, a sentence in small gothic font that says, "Now I've become Death, Destroyer of Worlds."

Ten bursts out laughing, to which Johnny honest-to-god pouts and shoves gently at Ten. "Hey I got that one when I was young and stupid and thought I was being a badass."

Ten wipes a tear from his eye from laughing so hard and makes up for it with a lingering, placating kiss. He lets Johnny roll them over. This position is even better because he feels Johnny's warm weight on him, solid and real. Johnny nudges Ten to turn over and Ten waggles his eyebrows at Johnny before complying. He feels Johnny run his fingers across the tattoos under his t-shirt, first at the birds and then lower at the galaxy and this time, he lets the shiver run freely through his body, hoping Johnny can feel the kind of effect he has on Ten. 

"I love seeing my tattoos on you, you have no idea," Johnny says, his breath ghosting tantalizingly along the line of Ten's spine, even through the shirt. "It's like you have a part of me on you, showing everyone that you belong to me."

Ten can't stand it any longer and he turns around and throws himself at Johnny, slinging his arm around the back of Johnny's neck, kissing him desperately. "I'm yours, I'm yours," he promises against Johnny's lips. "No one else's."

Johnny gasps into his mouth and kisses back with renewed fervor, like he wants to swallow Ten up. Ten doesn't think he would mind. Relish it even. 

He feels Johnny's tongue sliding along the seams of his lips, wanting to taste. He opens up for Johnny, willing to give him everything of himself. He should be scared of the depth of what he's feeling for Johnny, commitment was never for him, but he's not. He's sooooo not.

He sucks Johnny's tongue into his mouth, feeling recklessly bold. They kiss like this for a long time, tongues against each other's, exploring and tasting. 

Johnny pulls away first, gasping for air. He looks completely ravaged, undone by Ten.

"You have to give me a moment," Johnny says, his voice low and gravelly, which ignites another shot of lust in Ten. Johnny rests his forehead against Ten's, the atmosphere turning soft and languid. Ten can feel Johnny's lashes against his skin and he reaches up to cup Johnny's cheek in his hand, Johnny instinctively moving into it and pressing a kiss into the middle of Ten's palm.

"Do you have, um, supplies?" Johnny whispers. Ten nods and without breaking his gaze from Johnny, reaches blindly towards his bedside drawer, pulling it open to grab at the lube and condoms.

They shed the rest of their clothes, tossing it haphazardly over the side of the bed. Ten falls back on the bed, all the while touching Johnny, dragging his hand across his chest and abdomen. There's another tattoo on Johnny's ribs, which Ten had read on the Internet previously is one of the most painful spots to do. This one is of a colorful parrot standing on a branch.

"Any reason for the parrot?" Ten asks, truly curious.

"Parrots are my favorite bird," Johnny looks Ten dead in the eyes and says.

Ten groans, this time not out of lust. "Nooooooo, you were doing so well."

"Please don't tell me the parrot is the deal breaker," Johnny says incredulously.

"It's coming close," Ten warns, pulling Johnny down for a kiss to show that he doesn't actually mean it.

Ten breaks the kiss after a while to ask, "How do you want me?"

Johnny stares down at Ten before answering, "Like this, so I can see you. We can make use of your tramp stamp later."

Ten howls with laughter. "I _knew_ that would get your attention. I'm going to tell my roommate I told him so."

Johnny smiles. "That wasn't what got my attention about you, Ten."

Ten squirms, unused to this kind of tenderness and honesty. "Okay, okay," he says. "We should get this show on the road." 

He holds his breath as Johnny coats his fingers with lube, the very sight of it already so obscene and sexy and Johnny hasn't even laid a finger on him yet. Johnny presses a kiss against Ten's lips as he reaches down to rub his finger in the crease between Ten's legs, Ten spreading his legs wider for him. The first intrusion is uncomfortable, verging on pain. It's been a pretty dry spell for Ten, he isn't going to lie. But this is Johnny and he's trying to be as gentle as he can, going so tortuously slow.

Ten is panting and clutching at Johnny's shoulder when Johnny adds his third finger, his brows furrowed with concentration. Ten lifts his head up to kiss the spot, trying to smooth it out. That's when Johnny hits that spot within Ten that has him gasping, whiting out a little bit from the burst of pleasure, his insides twisting. Johnny looks triumphant and he does it again and again until Ten is squirming against the sheets.

"As you can probably tell, I'm ready," he pants at Johnny. "Fuck me."

He watches with fascination as Johnny swallows hard and nods, ripping open the condom wrapping with trembling hands. Ten takes the condom from him and guides it down on Johnny's cock, stroking him at the same time. Johnny closes his eyes and shudders.

Johnny enters him just as slowly as he was prepping him, giving Ten all the time in the world to get used to him, inch by tormenting inch. Ten's fantasies of Johnny fucking him hard is nothing compared to this. This is them getting to know each other's bodies, figuring out how they fit together.

Johnny only starts moving when Ten nudges at Johnny's face with his nose, urging him on. It's sort of uncomfortable, the girth of Johnny inside him, he feels like he's being pushed out of his own body, but then he sees the look of complete adoration on Johnny's face and this relaxes him, knowing that he's in safe hands.

The first sparks of pleasure of Johnny rocking into his body undoes him, reducing him to a quivering mess as he clings to Johnny, wrapping his legs around him for purchase. He hears himself whimpering into Johnny's devouring kisses, so helpless and wanton. He's completely at Johnny's mercy and he doesn't want to have it any other way.

Johnny's chest is heaving against Ten's as his thrusts grow faster and deeper. "Oh God, Ten, I-" He tries to say. He fumbles to wrap his hand around Ten's cock, his grip hot and firm, just the way Ten likes it. 

Ten struggles to speak, pleasure clawing up his throat. "Harder," he gasps. "I want it harder. I'm not made of glass."

Johnny huffs out a breathless laugh and obliges, beads of sweat sliding down the side of his face. Ten wants to lick it off him and he does, which earns him a full body shudder and groan from Johnny. "You're going to kill me, Ten," Johnny grunts.

Ten arches his back from a particular good twist of Johnny's hand. He whines between the clench of his teeth, before gritting out, "You can't die yet. You still have to take me out on a date."

Johnny nods mindlessly, his face slack from pleasure. Ten can feel his own body growing taut, unable to take much more. "Johnny, Johnny." His brain is no longer capable of any other words.

But Johnny understands. "Yeah, yeah, me too," he says, going in for the home stretch. He slides his hands under Ten, lifting him up a little to pound into him at a better angle, deeper and harder, driving Ten out of his mind. 

Johnny rips the orgasm out of Ten, that's how it feels like, swept under and over by blinding and overwhelming pleasure. He doesn't even feel like he's in his own body anymore. 

Johnny starts moving to pull out of him, but Ten grabs weakly for him. "Wait, wait, finish in me," he pleads.

Johnny looks uncertain, but stays and after a few more thrusts with Ten gripping his hair and licking a line up his neck, he comes with a bitten off "Ten" and a deep, exhausted groan. He falls into Ten, who holds him in his arms and presses soothing kisses along Johnny's broad shoulder.

Johnny starts to stir, sliding his lips along Ten's neck, chin, cheeks until they were kissing again, this time languidly, all the time in the world. After a while, Johnny heaves himself up and away from Ten, who gasps at the loss of him. 

"Where are you going?" He asks, trying not to sound desperate. 

Johnny bends over from the side of the bed to kiss Ten's forehead. "I'm going to get a towel to clean us up and you need to clean that tattoo as well." The only good thing is that Ten gets to watch Johnny leave.

When Johnny returns with a damp towel, the first thing he does is turn Ten over and wipe down the tattoo on his lower back. "I always tell clients not to engage in, um, sexual activities until after it completely heals, and now look at me," he says, sounding apologetic. He turns Ten back around to clean up the rest of him. Ten has never experienced such careful and tender aftercare. He finds himself liking it very much to be treated like this, like a precious thing to cherish.

He takes the towel from Johnny and tries to reciprocate.

\---

Afterwards, they lay in bed and cuddle, but then Ten suddenly shoots upright. "Why did it take you so long to get in touch with me?" He asks accusingly.

Johnny looks both sheepish and chagrined. "It took me like a week to get over the ethical issue of contacting a client for something other than business and then when I asked Seulgi for your number in her files, she refused to give it to me! She gave me the whole shpiel that I had just gotten myself over. It took me the rest of the month to convince her to let me call you."

"Oh," Ten says, sagging back into Johnny's arms. He feels Johnny brush a kiss against his temple. "Sorry," he mumbles against Johnny's collarbone. "I missed you, even when I thought you hated me. Ugh, how sappy is that?"

"Not sappy at all," Johnny reassures him. "I'm sorry if I made you feel that way. I swear that wasn't what I was going for, but I'm just so...awkward about telling people how I feel sometimes. I'm trying to be better." He trails off. "Especially if-if I can better at it with you."

Ten heaves himself up again to look down at Johnny, who looks adorably flustered by his own sappiness. He very much likes the vision of Johnny laid out blissfully in front of him, on his bed, in his room, completely for the taking. He leans down to kiss him, a promise pressed against Johnny's lips.

\---

Ten gets to spend the next few days in bed with Johnny when they don't have to be at work because Doyoung is at Jaehyun's, doing the same. 

**Author's Note:**

> My continuing headcanon for this fic is that Ten goes on to be a part time consultant for Johnny at the tattoo shop whenever he's free from his own work and they make beautiful art to put on people's bodies together.
> 
> The End
> 
> Thank you so much [jaenim](http://archiveofourown.org/users/jaenim/pseuds/jaenim) who prompted this. I had a lot of fun


End file.
